ANZPT Sydney Day 3: Levels 16 & 17 (blinds 3,000-6,000, ante 500)

Well it seems that the deadlock just cannot be broken! Hopefully a ten-minute break will be just what our players need!

2:20pm: Lawrences doubles through Barrett

Josh Barrett's aggression on the bubble has come back to bite him after the double up of Joey Lawrence. The chips were in preflop with Barrett moving all in with A♥T♦ but Lawrence making the call with A♠K♠.

The board ran out 9♣4♠Q♣Q♦K♥ to give Lawrence a big double up to around 365,000 with Barrett back down to 550,000.

2:15pm: Barrett continues to bully

Meanwhile chip leader Josh Barrett is loving this prolonged bubble time. He's pounding on his table every hand as the short stacks stay out of his way. He's now up to 709,000 in chips for a massive chip lead over the field.

2:05pm: Fortunate double up for Bromilow

Richard Bromilow will be breathing a sigh of relief after finding a fortunate double up, much to the disgust of 45 other players in the room.

Bromilow's last 25,500 was all in preflop with A♦J♣ against the dominant A♠K♣ of Andy Lee. As soon as Bromilow stood and put his jacket on, you knew he was going to suck out as the board ran out 6♣2♠3♣J♠5♣. It was a pretty jack for Bromilow who doubles up to 55,000 to keep his head above water...for now!

1:55pm: Bubble watch

The clock continues to tick but so far, there's not a lot of action to report as hand-for-hand continues.

There are a few short stacks out there currently getting blinded out as they hold on for dear life.

Peter Mathias appears to be the shortest stack in the room with just 23,000 in chips, while there are three short stacks in a row on table 16 with George Kanan, Stuart Brown and Richard Bromilow all around the 35,000-chip mark as the blinds have just passed through them.

1:30pm: Level up, blinds 3,000-6,000, ante 500

1:20pm: Briggs spikes two-outer to stay alive on bubble

There was a big roar in the poker room and we thought the bubble must have burst, but no, it was just the railbirds supporting their main man Jymmi Briggs who just landed a huge suckout and a double up to stay alive on the money bubble!

Briggs was on the button and moved all in for his last 45,000 but Joey Lawrence woke up in the big blind with A♥A♣ and made the call. Briggs showed Q♥Q♦ and it appeared his tournament was over, until the flop fell 6♦T♣Q♣ to spike a set for Briggs to put him in front as the turn and river bricked out.

"Timing is everything!" commented Briggs as he doubled up to 100,000 to stay alive!

1:05pm: Milazzo jacked

Peter Milazzo has been bundled out in 47th place when he's A♠Q♦ was all in preflop against Stevan Chew's J♥J♣. The board ran out T♥9♥9♦7♠K♣ to leave Chew's jacks in front and end Milazzo's tournament.

With that elimination we're now on the money bubble and each table will be playing hand-for-hand.

12:50pm: McKenzie won't be bullied

Jay Kinkade was relentless on his opponents yesterday, but Jesse McKenzie has fought fire with fire in a five-bet pot preflop.

Kinkade opened with a min-raise to 10,000 before McKenzie three-bet to 25,000. Kinkade came back with a four-bet to 58,500 but McKenzie didn't back down as he moved all in for 220,000. Kinkade gave it up as McKenzie jumps to around 300,000 chips.

ANZPT Adelaide runner-up McKenzie is on track to take the lead in the ANZ Player of the Year award with another deep run here in Sydney.

Jesse McKenzie in action at the ANZPT Sydney

12:45pm: Two down

We've lost our first two players of the day - one was a short stack and the other crashed and burned with a big stack.

Shannon Vandenberg was one of the short stacks entering today's play but he couldn't find the double up he needed as his 3♣3♥ fell to the A♦K♦ of Melanie Wohlers as the board ran out 8♣T♠A♣2♠T♥.

Meanwhile Antonis "Toothpick Tony" Kambouroglou continued his kamikaze style from last night as his overnight stack of 221,000 has now disappeared. His final stand was to get a ton of chips in preflop with Q♣T♠ against the A♠7♠ of Justin Walch. The flop was a sweaty A♣J♠9♣ but the 7♦ turn and the 5♣ river bricked off to burn the toothpick. Walch is now up to a commanding 410,000 chips.

12:30pm: The show must go on

While there are a few confused online poker players strolling into the Star City Poker Room this morning, but this is most certainly not Judgement Day. The show will definitely go on as the ANZPT Sydney Main Event enters Day 3 of play.

We have 49 players ready to roll, with four unlucky souls going home empty-handed as the top 45 will secure a cash result. There should be some interesting moments over the next hour or so until the bubble bursts.